Liverpool head to Selhurst Park in a very good run of form.
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew
Every club has a “bogey team” who give them a hard time wherever they play and are placed on the ladder and arguably for Liverpool, it is Crystal Palace. The South London club were the team who crushed Liverpool’s title dreams in 2014 when they came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 in the penultimate game of that season.
A year later they played “party poopers” yet again by spoiling the Anfield farewell appearance of Steven Gerrard and then last season they inflicted the first loss on Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager. The Reds did take a measure of revenge against the Eagles in the return clash, winning by a controversial Christian Benteke penalty which was their first league win at Selhurst Park since 1997.
Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke
Benteke will be a central figure again on Saturday evening, only this time he will be wearing the Red and Blue of Crystal Palace.The Belgian is the top scorer in the League for Palace this season with three goals, and he will look to cause some panic in the Liverpool defence with his physical presence. Reds’ Central defender Joel Matip shapes as being a very important figure for the Reds tomorrow evening as he has done a fine job negating the impact of Diego Costa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Salomon Rondon this season and has the physicality and game smarts to take on a player like Benteke.
Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend in action
Liverpool will have to also deal with a significant aerial threat as Crystal Palace average the most crosses per game (29) and the equal third highest amount of long balls per game (75). So it will be key to reduce the impact of the likes of Andros Townsend, Wilfried Zaha and Jason Puncheon and be careful to not give away too many free kicks in dangerous areas.
Liverpool’s Loris Karius
It is also a game where Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius has to be strong and decisive in commanding his area. The German currently has the Number 1 jersey in his possession, yet it is fair to say the jury is still well and truly out on the 23 year-old and this game presents itself as a ideal opportunity for him to stand up and be counted.
Prediction
Liverpool have claimed 16 points from their last six games to clearly be one of the in-form sides in the division in the early part of the season. Despite being in great form, they do not need to be told twice that Crystal Palace can be a difficult opponent despite them picking up just one point from their last three games. It will be a very competitive and physical affair with honours to be shared after the 90 minutes.
Crystal Palace 1 – Liverpool 1
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